Consuming high levels of vitamin D and calcium for breakfast may increase fat oxidation rates and energy burning during the course of the day, says a new study from Australia.

According to findings published in Clinical Nutrition, a breakfast containing over 500 milligrams of calcium and 8.7 micrograms of vitamin D was associated with significantly increased fat and energy burning over 24 hours, compared to a breakfast containing 250 milligrams of the mineral and 0.3 micrograms of vitamin D.

“Overall, the data indicate that dietary calcium and vitamin D reciprocally modulate both arms of the energy balance equation and hence would play a role in the regulation of body weight,” wrote the researchers, led by Mario Soares from the Curtin University of Technology.

Dairy or calcium?

The role of dairy in weight management is an ongoing area of debate. A relationship between dairy intake and weight reduction has been recorded in numerous studies, and dairy industries in Europe and the US have been promoting milk-based products for consumers who want to slim for some time. The subject, however, remains controversial.

There are even splits within the dairy camp, with some arguing that calcium and vitamin D are the active nutrients behind the effects. One of the lead researchers in this are, Dr Michael Zemel from the University of Tennessee, has previously said that dairy can help reduce body fat and that calcium only accounts for about 40 per cent of the effect.

Study details

The Perth-based scientists recruited 11 people with an age of 54 and an average BMI of 31 kg/m2 and randomly assigned them to consume meals containing low or high calcium meals.